Middle Eastern Festivals - CSAMES Illinois

Middle Eastern Festivals
Islamic:
Moulid el-Nabi, Milad, Milad an-Nabi, or Mawlid un-Nabi (The Prophet’s Birthday)
Prophet Muhammad (also Mohammed, Muhammed, Mahomet, and other variants) is the
founder of Islam and is regarded by Muslims as the last messenger and prophet of God.
Muhammad was born in the year 570 AD and his birthday is celebrated each year on 12
Rabi el-Awal, following the Islamic calendar. Processions are held, homes or mosques
are decorated, charity and food is distributed, stories about the life of Muhammad are
narrated, and poems are recited by children. The main purpose of Moulid el-Nabi
gatherings is to remember, observe, discuss and celebrate the advent of the birth and
teachings of the holy Prophet Muhammad.
Ramadan
Ramadan is a celebration that takes place in the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar, when the Quran (the
central religious text of Islam) was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad. The name of the feast is the
name of the month. Muslims celebrate Ramadan for
an entire month. It is a time for prayers (some
people pray 5 times a day), friendship, and thinking
about how to help others. Many people fast during
the hours of daylight for the entire month. Before the
sun rises, families gather to eat a big breakfast. This
breakfast before dawn is called Suhoor (also called
Sehri, Sahari and Sahur in other languages). Each
family member then fasts until the sun sets in the
evening. After the sun sets, they have a big supper.
This evening meal for breaking the daily fast is
called Iftar and is often done as a community, with Muslims gathering to break their fast
together. Following supper, many people go out to visit family and friends.
In Egypt, people decorate the streets and their houses with lanterns called fanous or
fanoos. Often children are given their own Ramadan fanous. The fanoos has become the
symbol of Ramadan and is now found in other areas of the Middle East as well.
Eid el-Fitur, Eid ul-Fitr, or Id-Ul-Fitr (Feast of the Breaking the Fast)
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the breaking of the fast for Muslims at the end of Ramadan. The
celebration lasts three days during which time families and friends get together to
celebrate with good food and give to charity. Food is often donated to the poor and
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everyone is expected to pay Zakat al-Fitr, an alms, for the month of Ramadan. Everyone
puts on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early
morning, followed by feasting and visiting with relatives and friends. Eid el-Fitur is a
joyous occasion with important religious significance. It is a day of forgiveness, moral
victory, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not only the end of fasting,
but also thank God for the help and strength he gave them throughout the previous month
to help them practice self-control.
Chaand Raat (Night of the Moon)
Chaand Raat is the term used in Pakistan,
India and Bangladesh for the eve of the
Muslim festival of Eid el-Fitur. It is a time of
celebration when families and friends gather
in open areas at the end of the last day of
Ramadan to spot the new moon, which signals
the arrival of the Islamic month of Shawwal
and the day of Eid. Women and girls decorate
their hands with mehndi (henna), and people
prepare desserts for the next day of Eid and do
the last round of shopping for the holiday to
come. City streets wear a festive look, as seen in the picture above, with brightly
decorated malls and markets that remain open late into the night. In socio-cultural
significance, this night is comparable to Christmas Eve in Christian nations.
Eid el-Adha, Eid ul-Adha, or Eid el-Kbir (Feast of the Sacrifice)
The Festival of Sacrifice is the second
most important feast in the Muslim
calendar, occurring approximately 70
days after Eid al-Fitr. The feast celebrates
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his
only son to prove his obedience to God.
Men, women, and children are expected
to dress in their finest clothing and
perform the festival prayer in any mosque
(a place of worship for followers of the
Islamic faith). Muslims who can afford to
do so sacrifice an animal as a symbol of
Abraham's sacrifice.
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During this time, Muslims also make
their annual pilgrimage to Mecca in
Saudi Arabia. The Dhu al-Hijja or Thw
al-Hijja is the twelfth and final month in
the Islamic calendar. The Hajj
Pilgrimage is performed on the eighth,
ninth and the tenth of this month. Eid elAdha is held on the tenth day.
Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is not a festival, but rather a sad event for both Shi'a and Sunni
Muslims. The event is the saddest event for Shi'a Muslims and it is a period of intense
grief and mourning. The event is also observed by many Sunnis, but to a lesser extent,
and as a time of remembrance, rather than mourning. The word ashura means simply
tenth in Arabic; hence the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means “the tenth
day.” On the tenth day of the Islamic calendar month of Muharram, the Day of Ashura is
observed.
Sunni Muslims observe the Day of Ashura differently than the Shi’a Muslims. They
believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of
Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this
day and asked other people to fast.
Shi'a Muslims commemorate the death of
Husayn ibn Ali by arranging majalis
(gatherings) to review Islamic teachings
and to commemorate Imam Husayn's
sacrifice. The remembrance marks the
anniversary of the Battle of Karbala (680
AD) when Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of
the Prophet Muhammad, was killed. The
mourning reaches its climax on the tenth
day, known as Ashura. This day is of
particular significance to Shi'a Muslims,
who consider Husayn the third Imam and a
rightful successor of Muhammad. Many Shi'a make pilgrimages on Ashura to the
Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine in Karbala, Iraq, which is traditionally held to be
Husayn's tomb. Shi'as also express mourning by crying and listening to poems about the
tragedy. Passion plays are also performed, reenacting the Battle of Karbala and the
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suffering and death of Husayn. In the above picture, Shi'a Muslims in Bahrain
congregate together in public for ceremonial chest beating (matham or latmiya) as a
display of their devotion. This is intended to connect them with Husayn's suffering and
martyrdom, and the sacrifices he made to keep Islam alive.
In some countries other religious
communities commemorate this
event. In Iran, some Armenians
and Zoroastrians participate in
mourning. In Trinidad and Tobago
and Jamaica all ethnic and
religious communities participate
in this event, locally known as
“Hosay” or “Hussay.” In South
Asia, a number of literary and
musical genres, produced by both
Shi’as and Sunnis who have been
inspired by the Battle of Karbala,
are performed during the month. In Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik or Tabut.
Tabuik refers to the high funeral biers carried around during remembrance processions.
(See pictures.) Although originally a Shi'a festival in Indonesia, nowadays most
inhabitants of Pariaman and other areas where similar Tabuik-festivals are held are
mainly Sunni Muslims.
Christian:
Christmas
Christmas is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas is a
Christian celebration that often combines the marking of Jesus' birth with various other
traditions and customs. In Israel, Christmas comes three times each year. The Western
Church celebrates on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar, the Russian
Church celebrates according to the Julian calendar, and the Armenian Church celebrates
on January 6. Traditionally throughout the Middle East Christians visit friends on
Christmas morning and are offered coffee, liqueurs and sugared almonds. Lunch at
Christmas is the most important meal of the season and the whole family gathers together
for it.
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There are various customs related to different areas
of the Middle East. In Lebanon, Christians plant
seeds in cotton wool about two weeks before
Christmas. By Christmas the seeds have grown and
they are used as decoration around nativity scenes.
In Syria, on Christmas Eve, the outer gates of
Christian homes are locked as a reminder of the years
of religious persecution. The family prepares a
bonfire in the courtyard and reads the New
Testament story of the nativity. After the fire dies
down, they take turns jumping over the embers and
making wishes. Christians in Iran, call Christmas the
"Little Feast" and Easter the "Big Feast." During the
month of December, Christians in Iran fast by cutting
out meat, eggs, milk, and cheese from their diet.
Christmas is a religious and family celebration. Gifts are not exchanged; however,
children are usually given new clothes.
St. Nicholas (seen above) was a Turkish Bishop who had a reputation for secret giftgiving, but is now commonly identified with Santa Claus. In Myra, Turkey, a St.
Nicholas Festival is held for three days around the saint's official Feast Day, December 6.
The celebration attracts many tourists who spend their Christmas holidays on the sunny
coast.
Epiphany
Epiphany is a Christian feast celebrating the revelation of God to mankind in human
form, in the person of Jesus. For Western Christians the feast primarily commemorates
the coming of the Magi, while in the Middle East the feast celebrates the Baptism of
Christ in the Jordan. However, in both
cases the essence of the feast is the same:
the manifestation of Christ to the world.
In Jordan, Christians celebrate Epiphany on
the banks of the Jordan River. In Syria,
children receive gifts at Epiphany from
“the smallest camel” of the Three Wise
Men. Every year the Smallest Camel visits
children with gifts for those who have been
good.
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Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is also called the Sunday of Olives in the
Middle East. The feast is celebrated the Sunday before
Easter commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
According to tradition, the people waved palm branches
and praised Jesus. Thus today, the palm branch is a
symbol of triumph and victory. The Christians use the
palm branch in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the
triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Christians take
palm branches home with them after church on Palm
Sunday to weave them into crosses, which they hang on
their front doors.
Easter
Easter is the fundamental and most important festival of Christians in the Middle East. It
is observed at some point between late March and late April each year following the
cycle of the moon. Every other religious festival, including Christmas, is secondary in
importance to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and in Greece paint eggs bright red to symbolize
the blood of Christ. Hollow eggs (created by piercing the shell with a needle and blowing
out the contents) are decorated with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other
religious figures in Armenia.
Jewish:
Passover (Pesach or Festival of Unleavened Bread)
Passover is the time when Jewish people remember how the children of Israel left slavery
behind them when they left Egypt. It is a major eight-day festival. A highlight is the
Seder meal held in each family's home at the beginning of the festival, when the story of
their deliverance is recounted as narrated in the Haggadah (the Telling, the Story).
Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods that
contain no leaven. There is a great spring cleaning in the home before the festival to
ensure that no trace of leaven is left in the home during Pesach.
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Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays celebrated
by people of the Jewish religion. These holidays are 10
days apart and occur either in September or October.
Together, the holidays are called the High Holy Days.
Rosh Hashanah, which lasts two days, is the Jewish New
Year. Families and friends gather at synagogues for
services led by a rabbi. To begin the services, the rabbi
blows on a ram’s horn, called a shofar. After the Rabbi
gathers the people together, he reads from the Torah, a
scripture that tells the history of the Jewish people. This
festival marks the Jewish New Year and begins the ten
days of repentance and self examination, during which
time God sits in judgment on every person. The festival is
also known as the Day of Judgment. A symbolic Rosh
Hashanah meal is pictured to the right.
Ten days after Rosh Hashanah, people of the Jewish religion celebrate Yom Kippur (The
Day of Atonement). The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the
“Days of Awe.” Yom Kippur is a quiet time for thinking, praying and remembering
acquaintances who have died. Many people fast during this holiday. Yom Kippur is the
final day of the ten days of repentance. It is the holiest day in the Jewish religion
(Sabbath of Sabbaths). As well as fasting for 25 hours, Jews spend the day in prayer,
asking for forgiveness and resolving to behave better in the future.
Sukkot, Succoth, or Sukkos (Feast of Booths)
Sukkot is a harvest festival commemorating the 40 years that the Jews spent in the
wilderness on the way from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. For this
feast, Jews are instructed to construct a temporary structure (a sukkah) in which to eat
their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type
of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the
desert after the Exodus from Egypt, and is intended to reflect God's benevolence in
providing for all the Jews' needs in the desert. During the festival, some Jews build their
own sukkah in the garden or at the synagogue. Jews eat their meals in the sukkah for the
eight or nine days of the festival.
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Hanukkah or Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday
beginning on the 25th day of the month of
Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar.
The festival is observed in Jewish homes
by the kindling of lights on each night of
the holiday. Hanukka, from the Hebrew
word for "dedication," marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after
its desecration and commemorates the
"miracle of the cruze of oil." At the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem
there was only enough consecrated olive
oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for
eight days.
Zoroastrian:
Nowruz (New Day)
Many important Zoroastrian annual festivals are in celebration of nature: new year on the
first day of spring, the water festival in summer, the autumn festival at the end of the
season, and the mid-winter fire festival. Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion
of much of Greater Iran. As of 2007 the faith has dwindled to small numbers; some
sources suggest that it is practiced by fewer than 200,000 worldwide, with its largest
centers in India and Iran.
The basis of many Iranian festivals is from its Pre-Islamic Zoroastrian era. However,
there are some festivals that are celebrated exclusively by Zoroastrians and some to a
lesser extent in other communities too. Today Nowruz is observed in many different
cultures and areas of the world. (See secular festivals below.) Seasons play a vital part in
Zoroastrianism. After a severe winter, the beginning of spring is a great occasion to
celebrate. Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) was the architect of the pre-Islamic Iranian
cosmology who instituted many feasts, festivals and rituals to pay homage to the seven
creations, the holy immortals and Ahura Mazda. The seven most important ones are
known as Gahambars, the feasts of obligation. The last and the most elaborate was
Nowruz, celebrating Ahura Mazda and the Holy Fire at the spring equinox.
Nowruz survived in society following the introduction of Islam in 650 AD and has
become a secular holiday as well. It was a festival honored even by the early founders of
Islam. Nowruz has been celebrated for at least 3000 years and is deeply rooted in the
rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian religion.
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Sadeh or Jashn-e Sadeh (Festival of Fire)
Sadeh is a Zoroastrian tradition celebrated 50 days before Nowruz. Sadeh in the Persian
language means “hundred” which refers to the one hundred days and nights left until the
beginning of the new year celebrated on the first day of spring each year. Sadeh is a midwinter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Iran. It was
a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold. This
Zoroastrian festival survived into present-day Islamic society.
According to religious beliefs, Jashn-e Sadeh recalls the importance of light, fire and
energy; light which comes from God is found in the hearts of his creatures. During
ancient times, Jashn-e Sadeh was celebrated by lighting fires. The fire assists the revival
of sun and brings back the warmth and light of summer. It is also meant to drive off the
demons of frost and cold, which turn water to ice, and thus kill the roots of plants. Every
year thousands of Zoroastrians celebrate
the religious feast of Jashn-e Sadeh by
burning firewood in an open space to
signify the coming of spring and as a
symbolic token of the eternal fight with
mischief.
For Zoroastrians the chief preparation
for Sadeh was, and continues to be in
some areas, the gathering of wood the
day before the festival. Teenage boys
accompanied by a few adult males go to
local mountains in order to gather camel
thorns, a common desert shrub in Iran seen in the picture above. For most boys, this is the
first time they are away from their families. The occasion resembles a ritual of passage to
adulthood, a notable step for the boys on their way to manhood. The boys then take the
camel thorns to the temples in their cities; and if it were their first time doing this, on
their return, a celebration was held at home with the presence of friends and families.
Although for the majority of Iranians Sadeh has no religious significance and no specific
rituals are involved other than lighting fires at sunset and having a cheerful time, Iranians
of all faiths make a collective effort at this day to keep up with their ancient traditions
and to celebrate the precious things God granted humanity.
Jashn-e Mihragān (Festival of Mihr)
The Festival of Mihr is a day of thanksgiving dedicated to the highest Angel, Mithra, an
important deity or divine concept in Zoroastrianism and later Persian mythology and
culture. By the 4th century BCE, it was observed as one of the Zoroastrian name-day
feasts, a form it retains even today, even in (predominantly) Islamic Greater Iran where it
is of the few pre-Islamic festivals that continue to be celebrated by the public at-large. In
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a non-Zoroastrian context, where Mithra is no longer worshipped, Jashn-e-Mihragān still
remains a celebration amongst family and friends, but it is today recognized as a harvest
festival. The festival symbolically ends with bonfires and fireworks, but should not be
confused with Sadeh, which likewise celebrates with bonfires but occurs at the end of the
calendar year.
For this celebration, the participants wear new clothes and set a decorative, colorful table.
The table is decorated with wild marjoram and traditional sweets, fruits, and vegetables
are added to the table, along with a mirror. In some of the villages in Yazd, Zoroastrians
still sacrifice sheep to Mihr. During the meal, the family stands in front of the mirror to
pray. They drink sherbet and then rub antimony, a silvery white metalloid, around their
eyes, as a ritual of good luck. As they embrace each other, they throw handfuls of
marjoram, seeds, and sugar plums over each others’ heads.
Yaldā or Shab-e Chelle (Winter Solstice)
Yaldā is celebrated on the eve of the first day of the winter, which falls on the Winter
Solstice. It celebrates the birth of Sun god Mithra. The festival was considered extremely
important in pre-Islamic Iran and
continues to be celebrated to this day,
for a period of more than 6000 years.
Different cultures all over the world
celebrate the Winter Solstice. In
most ancient cultures, including
Persia, the start of the solar year was
marked to celebrate the victory of
light over darkness and the renewal
of the Sun.
The ancient form of the Yalda
ceremony included burning fires,
feats, and prayers to ensure a good
winter crop. During this time one of the themes of the festival was the temporary
subversion of order. Masters and servants reversed roles. The king dressed in white
would change place with an ordinary person.
Today the religious significance of the festival has been lost for most non-Zoroastrians.
Yaldā is an important social occasion, when family and friends get together for fun and
merriment. Usually families gather at their elders homes. Different kinds of dried fruits,
nuts, seeds and fresh winter fruits are consumed. (See the picture above.) The presence of
dried and fresh fruits is reminiscence of the ancient feasts to celebrate and pray to the
deities to ensure the protection of the winter crops.
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Jashn-e Tiragan (The Festival of Tiragan)
Jashn-e Tiragan is a day dedicated to Tishtrya, the Angel of the star Sirius and of rain.
Tishtrya refers to the angel who appeared in the sky to generate thunder and lightening
for rain. Jashn-e Tiragan is a rain festival observed in July with the hope of increasing
the harvest and countering drought. It is one of the three most widely celebrated feasts
(along with Mihragan and Nowruz) of Zoroastrianism.
Today, people celebrate this festival with dancing, singing, reciting poetry and serving
spinach soup and saffron rice pudding. Water is celebrated as children swim in streams
and enjoy the outdoors. Another traditional custom for the festival is the wearing of
rainbow-colored bands on the wrist. After ten days the bands are removed and thrown
into a stream.
Secular:
Sham el-Nessim (Smelling the Breeze)
This Egyptian festival marks the beginning of spring and literally means “smelling the
breeze.” Sham el-Nessim is celebrated by both Christians and Muslims so it is
considered a national more than a religious festival. The beginning of this festival can be
traced back as far as 2700 B.C. It is an ancient celebration that was originally related to
agriculture, harvest, and fertility. In ancient times, Egyptians offered fish (a symbol of
fertility and abundance), lettuce, and onions to their deities on this day.
Today, millions of Egyptians emerge from their homes on the day of Sham el-Nessim to
enjoy the day outside. Families start at dawn preparing their food, then take their
blankets with them and enjoy the breeze of spring. Traditional food are eating that
celebrate the spring, including fiseekh (salted fish), boiled colored eggs, termis (lupin
seeds), and green onions.
The International Festival of the Sahara
In Douz, Tunisia, each year people celebrate
nomadic ways of life and their traditions. The
first Festival of the Sahara in Douz in 1910 was
called the Camel Festival. The festival has since
grown and become an important part of the
country’s modern identity. This four-day festival
at the end of December attracts thousands of
people from all over Tunisia and other Maghreb
countries. The features of the festival include
camel marathons, fantasia (galloping Arab horses ridden by daring riders), a Bedouin
marriage, sloughi (desert hunting dog—see picture) catching rabbits.
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In the evening, groups from visiting countries perform popular songs and dances. The
central event of the festival is the annual poetry contest, which represents the desert's
principal communication medium.
Nowrūz or Now Ruz (Iranian New Year)
Nowrūz is the traditional Iranian new year holiday
celebrated in Iran, Northern Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, the countries of Central
Asia such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as among various
other Iranian and Turkic people in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan,
India, Northwestern China, the Caucasus, the Crimea, and
the Balkans. The festival marks the first day of spring and
the beginning of the new year and traditionally lasts for
thirteen days. It is celebrated on the vernal equinox, the
beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere by people
regardless of their religion.
Current Nowruz celebrations include cleaning the house
and treating each family member to new clothes and shoes, along with the purchase of
flowers, particularly hyacinths and tulips. Khane tekani (literally meaning “shaking the
house”) is an Iranian tradition of spring cleaning and part of the Nowruz festival, which
stems from the Zoroastrian idea of purification through cleanliness. People usually wash
carpets, paint houses, and clean yards and attics.
On the New Year's Day, families dress in their new
clothes and start the twelve-day celebrations.
Typically, on the first day of Nowruz, family
members gather around the table, with the Haft Sin
on the table or set next to it, and await the exact
moment of the arrival of the spring. At the moment
the New Year begins, the family members all kiss
and hug one another, exchange gifts and eat the
special food they have prepared. They then visit the
elders of their family, then the rest of their family
and finally their friends. On the thirteenth day
families leave their homes and picnic outdoors.
The way a Nowruz table is prepared is particularly
important. A lighted candle, mirror, colored egg,
holy book, and a bowl with a goldfish are gathered
together and placed on the table. Each object on the table has a unique symbol attached to
it. The candle represents enlightenment and happiness, the mirror represents reflections
on creation, the colored eggs symbolize fertility, a holy book represents the family’s
faith, and the goldfish represents life. The family will also set out a plate containing
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seven items each beginning with the Persian letter “S”. Haft Sîn (the seven 'S's” is a
major tradition of Nowruz. The haft sin table includes seven items specific starting with
the letter S. The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals
protecting them. Traditionally, families attempt to set as beautiful a Haft Sīn table as they
can (see above picture), as it is not only of traditional and spiritual value, but also noticed
by visitors during Nowruz visitations and is a reflection of their good taste.
There are other traditions that take place before Nowruz
arrives. The night before the last Wednesday of the year is
called Chahārshanbe Sūrī (the festival fire). This festival
celebrates the light (the good) winning out over the
darkness (the bad). The tradition involves people going
into the streets and alleys to make fires in order to jump
over them while singing traditional songs. Any remaining
evil and darkness will be exchanged by the light and good
of the fire.
According to tradition, people are visited by the spirits of
their ancestors on the last days of the year. Many children
wrap themselves in shrouds, symbolically re-enacting the
visits. They also run through the streets banging on pots
and pans with spoons and knocking on doors to ask for
treats. The ritual is called qashogh-zany (spoon beating)
and symbolizes the beating out of the last unlucky Wednesday of the year.
There are also several other traditions on this night that involve getting rid of bad luck
before the New Year begins. These rituals include Kūze Shekastan, the breaking of
earthen jars which symbolically hold ones bad fortune; the ritual of Fal-Gûsh, or
inferring one's future from the conversations of those passing by; and the ritual of Gerehgoshā’ī, making a knot in the corner of a handkerchief or garment and asking the first
passerby to unravel it in order to remove ones misfortune.
Finally after the twelfth day of the festival, the thirteenth day of the festival is Sizdah
Bedar. On this day people are expected to go out of doors. This is a day of festivity often
accompanied by music and dancing, usually at family picnics. Hence Nowruz lasts
twelve days and the thirteenth day represents the time of chaos when families put order
aside and avoid the bad luck associated with the number thirteen by going outdoors and
having picnics and parties.
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Nowruz in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, Nowruz is celebrated throughout the
country. It usually lasts for two weeks. In certain parts,
such as in Mazar e Sharif, the festival is connected to the
abundant red tulips that grow wild around the city and is
called Mēla-e Gul-e Surkh (The Red Flower Festival).
Traditionally Nowruz is a time when prizes and medals are
bestowed on artists for their achievements and on farmers
for their produce. The Festival of Farmers or Jashni
Dehqan is celebrated during the first day of the New Year.
On this day farmers walk in the cities as a sign of
encouragement for agricultural productions.
Games called buzkashi are held in stadiums (see picture below) and picnics go on until
late at night, with music and dancing in the parks and open grounds around shrines.
Unlike the Iranian Nowruz table that
centers on the Haft Sîn, the Afghani
Nowruz table is prepared according to
Haft Mēwa (Seven Fruits). A fruit salad
made from seven different dried fruits
(raisins, dried fruits of the oleaster tree,
pistachios, hazelnuts, prunes, apricots,
and walnuts or almonds) is the
centerpiece of the Afghani table.
Nowruz Celebrations by Kurds
The Kurds (an ethnic group considered to
be indigenous to a region often referred to
as Kurdistan, an area which includes parts
of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey) celebrate
Nowruz between the 18th and 21st of
March. The word Nowruz is pronounced
as “Newruz” by the Kurds. It is one of the
few celebrations that has survived and
predates all the major religious festivals.
To celebrate Kurds gather in open areas, mostly outside the cities, to welcome spring.
Women wear gaily colored dresses and spangled head scarves and young men wave flags
of green, yellow and red, the colors of the Kurdish people. They light fires and dance
around them. The festival was illegal until 2000 in Turkey, where most of the Kurds live.
Turkey now officially celebrates Nowruz as a spring holiday. Nowruz is however still
considered as a potent symbol of Kurdish identity in Turkey.
Created by the Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Hala Festival
The Hala February festival is an annual event that takes place in Kuwait during the spring
season. It is a month long celebration when the dry sands of the desert bloom into a green
carpet covered with blossoming, colorful flora. During this time many migratory birds
and seasonal animals also arrive in the area. The Hala Festival is a great opportunity for
young and old alike to participate in this kaleidoscope of events featuring cultural
festivals, parades, shopping carnivals, raffles and contests, concerts, and children’s
entertainment.
Georgian Keipi or Supra
Part of the social culture of the peoples of Georgia is a banquet feast called the keipi. In
ancient times, a keipi feast would be held in the spring for the entire village to attend. The
woman of the village would ensure that food was constantly replenished for the guests
and a man called a tamada, or toastmaster, would give a toast. The tradition was that no
one could drink their wine until the toastmaster had finished his toast. Today a keipi
feast can be held at any time to celebrate special events. There may be over twenty toasts
during one keipi. A tamada arranges breaks from time to time, because the toasts become
long and special toasts require a ritual song or verse to accompany them. Oftentimes folk
dances are also a part of the keipi celebration.
Basant, Jashan-e Baharaan, or Basant Panchami (Spring Festival)
Basant is another festival that takes place in
the spring to celebrate the end of winter. In
Pakistan and throughout Southern Asia,
people of all religious backgrounds observe
this spring tradition.
In some cities, like Lahore in Pakistan, the
festival lasts for three days, but usually it is
one a one day celebration. The Basant
festival heralds the end of winter and arrival
of spring. Traditionally people dress in
bright green or yellow. Kite flying is
particularly important. Throughout the festival, kite flying competitions take place all
over the city’s rooftops.
Created by the Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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